These aren't the 2003 Reds anymore. That's the year Jimmy Haynes started on Opening Day. The Reds were in the midst of a four-year streak of starting retreads on Opening Day. Joey Hamilton, Haynes, Cory Lidle and Paul Wilson started in consecutive openers.

This rotation has been built through draft (Bailey and Leake), trade (Latos), international free agent (Cueto) and a waiver pickup (Simon). A lot of credit has to go to former GM Dan O'Brien. He signed Cueto and drafted Bailey over a four-month period in 2004.

The current five starters have a collective 3.09 ERA.

I'll repeat what I wrote Sunday: If the starting pitching remains this good, the Reds will play their way back into the race.